Black Friday is quickly approaching and that means the holiday shopping season is officially here.

WLKY went out and spoke with some shoppers on Thanksgiving Day who decided to get a head start.

Advertisement

The interesting part, almost everyone we talked with said it was their first time shopping on Thanksgiving.

Many said the nice weather and some unbeatable deals played a big role in their holiday shopping this year.

Juanita Thomas waited almost two hours to get into Toys”R”Us.

It's her first year doing it, and while she didn't particularly enjoy the line, she said finding the perfect present was worth it in the end.

For others Thursday wasn't about shopping at all.

Lisa Charles took her daughter to Bass Pro Shop in Clarksville to get a jump start on a cherished holiday tradition.

“We saw that Santa was actually here today and we thought it'd be a good time to come over and see the big guy,” Charles said.

Still, some people stopped by the hunting, camping and fishing store to shop.

General Manager Mike Benningfield said about 350 customers were waiting to come in when they opened at 8 a.m.

He said the holiday rarely keeps people away.

“Honestly, Bass Pro is kind of a destination store, so a lot of people like to have their Thanksgiving Dinner and then come over or hit us first thing in the morning before their Thanksgiving dinner,” Benningfield said.

Some people said they prefer the experience of shopping the day before Black Friday because it isn’t as crowded.

But that won’t last long.

Thousands are expected to come out at 5 a.m. when Bass Pro Shop rolls out dozens of deals that many wait all year for.

Mall Saint Matthews also offered shoppers an early start to Black Friday. They opened at 6 p.m. Thursday and close at midnight.